"Oh, good morning! We saved a seat for the three of you."

There were five other people with the Guildmaster in the room, none of which they knew or recognized. At the back of the room was Orien and Ameera, who was busy replacing her brother's bandages. Lho'thrain and the Shadowmancer were not present, but Stefan could see that there was a floating ball of light hovering over one of the chairs.

"Sorry. We... ran into a bit of trouble."

Stefan chuckled as they sat down on the table. The other five adventurers just looked at them uneasily as they poured over the maps and notes of the dungeon.

It was a strange sight to see a man in white armor sitting beside an Assassin clad in black robes. There was also a brown-haired man beside him that wielded a spear. Stefan and Semilia took one look at him and they immediately knew that they didn't like him. Perhaps it was his cocky and annoying smile, his flashy coat and armor maybe? He was definitely dressed to grab attention and to show everyone that he was a leader of some sort, but no one really paid him any mind. Stefan let out a sigh as he took a closer look at the people around him.

He looked at the small tags that hung around their necks. Four of them had gold tags with silver chains while the girl beside Liam had a platinum tag with intricately designed golden chains. His own tag was tucked away in his pocket, but everyone else in the room could tell that he was just as strong as the four Gold Ranks. His finger tapped the table while he waited for someone to talk and his eyes wandered over towards Liam and the Platinum Rank beside him. To his surprise, it was the man beside him that broke the silence with an intentional cough.

He wore simple armor with a Mithril shirt underneath it all. His black hair was tied into a short ponytail and his youthful face made Stefan want to shave the stubble and hair that he failed to maintain. The young man smiled at Stefan and the Guildmaster as he put down the cup of tea he had been drinking.

"Now that we're all here, I believe that this meeting can finally begin in earnest. I'm Eric, Captain of the Wyvern Slayers."

"Ludwig. Leader of Undead Hunt. Pleasure to meet you."

The armored man nodded as he introduced himself. Stefan wondered why he was wearing such heavy steel all over his body when he noticed Stefan's stare.

"Pay no heed to my armor, comrade. It masks my... scarred appearance underneath. You must be Stefan Hendrickson? Guildmaster Liam told me that you will be here."

"You've heard of me?"

"Up north in Morriun. Your work with Orcs and Goblins are still noticeable even to this day. It really is a shame that you've been demoted to Silver even after your accomplishments."

Stefan nodded at the armored man as he beamed proudly.

"Well, you know how it is. Politics and scandals."

"Ah. A shame that such a great adventurer fell victim to such petty-"

"Can we move on, already? I'm Jared, Team Captain of Goblinbane. I'm Gol-"

"Arron of the Black Trappers. Nice to meet all of you."

"Y-You just cut me-"

"I believe that there is only one person left that needs introduction?"

Arron ignored Jared's grumbling as all eyes turned towards the silver-haired girl at the front of the table.

She had an air of both elegance and confidence around her while she quietly drank from her cup of ale. Her amber eyes looked sharp as a hawk as she swung her gaze around the table and towards Stefan. The girl had elegant silver armor and a thick coat made out of Dire Wolf hide over her shoulders. She asked something in a hushed and soft whisper to the Guildmaster and he immediately nodded to her question. She nodded and put down the cup of ale beside her.

"My name is Katherine Silverlocke. I am a Platinum Ranked adventurer without a team."

Everyone's jaws dropped at her words. Stefan did a double take at the girl in front of him.

"A Lone Adventurer... Guildmaster, I take it that she will be the one leading us into the dungeon?"

"That is right, Eric. She will be overseeing the expedition since she's both the most experienced and the strongest one in this room."

Liam smiled as the other adventurers looked at Katherine.

She definitely looked like a strong adventurer, but she still a Lone Adventurer. Stefan didn't say anything about it, but Jared was clearly uncomfortable having a Lone Adventurer overseeing the entire dive. Everyone was. How can someone who didn't fight in a team lead a large expedition? Stefan looked at Eric, if anyone could speak up about it it would be him.

"Excuse me, Miss Silverlocke."

Their eyes turned towards Arron, his eyes locked at both Silverlocke and Liam as he spoke. Stefan was surprised that he was the one who spoke up instead of Eric.

"Katherine would be fine."

"Okay then, Miss Katherine. You are a Lone Adventurer, correct? Do you have any experience in leading a large group such as the one Guildmaster Liam gathered?"

"I participated in such dungeon dives before, but this is the first time that I have been given the task of overseeing an expedition."

Arron nodded and folded his arms together.

"I am... satisfied."

Everyone seemed to share Arron's judgement. Everyone except Jared. He looked at the girl as she stared back at him with her yellow eyes and he immediately stood up from his seat with a scowl on his face.

"I don't trust her."

"What in the Gods' name are you doing now, Jared?"

"Damned it, Jared. Don't be a pain in the ass."

Eric and Arron spoke immediately while Ludwig let out an exasperated sigh and shook his head.

"Oh come on! You're honestly saying that you guys are gonna let a Lone Adventurer lead?! She might be a Platinum Rank and she might be strong, but a good leader is more than those things!"

"Gods be damned, Jared! And who would you rather have as a leader?! Eric?! He's good at coordinating fights, but he's an idiot when it comes to expeditions!"

"Hey! I- Okay, you have a point there. But it's not like you can do any better!"

Arron looked away from Eric and turned his attention back to the furious Jared.

"As if I want to lead such a large group. My party's already a pain as it is, but trying to keep a few dozen more would make me want to kill myself."

"I could lead a large group of people myself since I have the experience and skill to back it. But I would rather have a Platinum Ranked adventurer leading us. It would be great for morale and other adventurers would most likely feel better with such a skilled person at the helm."

Ludwig said with his deep yet eloquent voice as he looked at Stefan. He nodded in agreement as he laid down to the other his thoughts on the matter.

"I agree with Ludwig. It will be much better if Katherine would be the one leading this although I think that as fellow team captains, we need to help her as well."

He ignored Semilia's muffled snickering and Riel's eye roll as he said those words. Katherine smiled at him and finally stood up from her seat.

"I know that you have your doubts about my ability as a leader, Jared, but I have faith in all of you as the ones chosen to help me with my responsibilities. But I would gladly offer you this position if you still have any qualms about me being put in a superior position than you."

Her yellow eyes stared coldly at Jared. The air around her felt chilly like the bitter winds of the North and her fiery eyes blazed like the hearths and bonfires that lit up the winter months there.

"V-Very well. It's not like I didn't want you to be the leader, just had some... Nevermind! Let's just get on with business! Aren't we here to talk about the plan?!"

Semilia scoffed at his attempt of changing the subject. Stefan just made a mental note to keep an eye on him in particular during the raid.

Content, Katherine smiled and immediately turned her attention towards the dungeon maps Stefan and Liam made with the others a week ago. Immediately, she laid down plans and the formations they would most likely use in some sections of the dungeon. Ludwig was the most attentive one out of everyone; his thoughts and insights about dungeons, in general, made him the most useful person in the room. Eric and Arron merely asked questions about their roles and what they could do during the dive while Jared just listened quietly as he sipped on the now cold tea in front of him.

The plan they came up with in the end is simple. They will split the entire force of a hundred into three groups with the main force being led by Ludwig and herself. Stefan and Eric will lead the main force through the paths they took in the dungeon while Arron and Jared will take care of traps and their flanks. It was the typical strategy employed by most groups whenever they raided dungeons, but it was also the most effective. They will take both the shortcuts and the main routes through the dungeon to clear as many places as possible to prevent monster attacks from behind.

After an hour or two of talking strategy, they finally settled on a plan as well as how many people will be placed in each group. Jared groaned as he stood up and he grabbed the large spear on the wall nearest to him. He waved the others goodbye as he left the room with a cocky grin on his face. Everyone sighed as the door slammed shut behind him and Katherine finally let out a sigh she's been holding in for the past two hours.

"Finally,he'sfuckinggone."

Katherine muttered out loudly as she looked at everyone.

"Shall we have lunch?"

Semilia and Riel ate quietly as they watched Stefan and the other four adventurers from their table. Riel enjoyed the sandwich she ordered very much as she licked the red sauce on her fingers.

"What's the matter? Don't like your porkchops?"

"Huh? No. I'm just wondering why we're sitting at a diffferent table than Stefan! Look! They're ordering a feast over there!"

Riel looked at the huge rack of ribs the barmaid brought over to their table.

"Well, their parties are also sitting at different tables."

"Yeah, well they have to. Ludwig's party is around twelve people and Eric's is twice that number. Arron's group is pretty small, but they all look so gloomy."

Riel glanced at the shadowy corner of the tavern and saw about five people drinking in silence as they nodded and whispered to one another. Then she looked back at the two large groups surrounding their table.

"Well, why don't you just ask to sit with them? They still have a lot of spcae over th-"

"It's a table for leaders, Riel. As if they'd let me, a Low-Elf, sit over there with them."

"Oh come one! Here, I'll do it for us. Hey, Stefan!"

"Oi! What the hell are you doing?!"

Riel managed to grab not just Stefan's attention, but the rest of their table as well. He shot them a confused look, then he saw Semilia's red ears and realized what those two wanted. He let out a sigh as he patted the empty spot beside him.

The two of them walked over to their table and Riel sat immediately beside Stefan and ordered a mug of ale for herself. Stefan immediately shouted for the barmaid to bring her tea instead while Semilia sat down beside the furious Mage. The armored man beside her made room for her and smiled at her from beneath his helmet.

"I was wondering why you two were sitting at a different table. Why didn't you join us earlier?"

"W-We thought it'd be rude to join in on your conversations."

Ludwig and Eric laughed at her answer while Semilia wondered if she said something wrong. Her cheeks and ears turned a bright shade of red as the armored man patted her shoulder lightly as he laughed.

"Perhaps if we were talking strategy, that would be the proper etiquette. But our topics revolved not around strategy, but the monsters we have slain and the women we have wooed!"

He raised a fist in the air while Eric and Stefan shook their heads at the armored warrior.

"Don't mind Ludwig. We were just talking about our previous quests before this."

Eric smiled as he offered Semilia a plate of grapes. She politely refused and instead opted for the large pint of watered down ale that Stefan handed her.

"Thanks, Stefan! So past quests? What did Stefan tell you guys?"

"Just things about Goblin subjugation and beast hunting. Nothing spectacular, yet."

Arron sipped on his ale while Stefan scratched the back of his head.

"Like I said, nothing really special. The three of us are more focused on scouting and tracking monsters instead of clearing out dangerous areas."

"What? Impossible! The great Orc Slayer of the North shouldn't be hunting Dire Wolves and Giant Toads!"

Heads turned towards Ludwig as he opened the slit over his mouth before taking a swig of strong whiskey. Semilia and Riel looked at Stefan as he ate the grapes Eric offered him.

"Orc Slayer?! Why didn't you tell us you had such a cool title!"

"Impossible! Stefan here always ran from Giant Toads whenever our traps failed! You must've mistaken him for some other person."

Arron and Ludwig looked at Stefan as he avoided their gaze. Ludwig slammed down a hand on the table as he looked at Stefan, eyes wide with surprise and disbelief.

"You haven't told your team about yourself?! What kind of a leader are you?"

"They didn't really ask about it. And I don't really care about such titles."

"Orc Slayer isn't just a title! You're a legend up in the north! Your team took down an entire Orc tribe and you managed to kill its Chieftain in single combat!"

Ludwig said with an excited tone while Stefan just laughed nervously. At this point, even the Platinum Ranked Katherine was intrigued and she put down her cup of wine.

"Yeah, yeah. I killed an Orc Chieftain and all of that, so what? I don't really want to talk about that."

Stefan ignored the stares being thrown at him by Semilia and Riel. That was his last quest before he "retired" from his life as an adventurer.

"That's a shame... I remember the first time our party faced an Orc Party. It was a mess but at least we managed to get out of that damned quest with our limbs still attached to our bodies."

"Hmm. Undead are a better target for quests if you were to ask me. They are easy to subjugate, and easy to predict."

Eric and Ludwig nodded at each other while Stefan stared at the liquid in his mug.

He remembered his last quest as a Gold Rank. He remembered the raging blizzard that raged around them as they fought against the Orcs. He shuddered as he remembered the bitter fighting that raged all around them and how he stumbled upon the Orc Chief accidentally during the chaos. His eyes closed as the feeling of dread and guilt washed over him. He fell silent as he sipped on his drink.

Semilia ignored Eric's and Ludwig's boisterous boasts and turned towards the quiet girl that sipped her wine quietly. Her yellow eyes met Semilia's azure ones and she smiled sweetly at the Low-Elf. Semilia smiled as well and nodded at the Platinum Ranked adventurer. She wanted to ask her questions about her travels but she was beaten to it by Katherine. The table fell silent as Katherine spoke to the Low-Elf with a cordial tone.

"Miss Semilia, how did you chance upon Sir Stefan?"

"Stefan? We met when he went through our village to hunt down a wild boar."

"Really? Is that true, Sir Stefan?"

Stefan was chuckled as he shook his head.

"Yeah... I almost got killed when I trespassed.They thought I was a slaver or something."

Semilia sighed as she thought back at the time when she almost shot the strange person rummaging near their outhouse.

"It's been a few years already since we became a party, and there was only the two of us at first. It was hard having to look after this damn idiot and even harder to prevent him from dying of alcohol sickness."

"Hmm. I do not mean anny ill-will by this, but why did you choose a Low-Elf, Stefan? It must be a harrowing experience having such a member at first."

"Oh no, not at all. In fact, I prefer the company of Low-Elves than some people."

Ludwig looked at Stefan as he sipped his ale. He knew that those words are scandalous and controversial to many but he didn't care.

"But Stefan, don't you know about what-"

"I don't really care about the past and stuff. Racial blood feuds or grudges from ancient times, I don't really care. But if they start doing shit that's pretty fucking rude, I'll beat them if I have too."

Eric bit his lip and sighed. The conversation was over, and everyone knew it.

Stefan could tell that they were just being nice to Semilia, and that they were just waiting for the right moment to ask about her. And he felt rather irritated by that. Riel wouldn't really grab their attention since she's just a young girl, but Semilia is different. He could tell that those questions made her feel uneasy, but he knew that she was hiding it from everyone.

But her slightly shivering hands, the slightly softer tone in her voice, and the stiffness of her ears made her feelings clear to him. She was never the type to get along well with others, but he could tell that she's trying her best to not embarrass him in front of the other leaders. He looked at her and sighed as he wondered why this damn girl is like this.

"Sorry about my rudeness. I would appreciate it if everyone refrained from asking such questions in the future. Anyway, want to hear the story of how I became the Orc Slayer? It seems I ruined the mood, so I think it's only fair that I lighten it up again."

Everyone perked up at his suggestion and they immediately urged him to do it.

With a heavy sigh and ale in hand, he leaned in closer to the table. Riel stopped stuffing her face with the delicious pork skins and listened in closely. They knew Stefan had secrets about his past, but this was the first time that they will hear him divulge some of those things..And so they listened closely as Stefan Hendrickson told his tale about a village, a blizzard, and the host of Orcs that came down the mountainside on that one winter's day.